The Clouds of War
by Odin's Raven
Summary: War rages between the forces of Hyrule and those of the evil wizard Gannon. The forces of evil have been beaten back but are preparing to spring some dangerous surprises. Everything is not always what it seems.
1. The Clouds of War

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just trying my hand at writing about it. Hopefully this is fairly decent.

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" grunted Link as he cut away more branches. "I should be over in Arbiter Grounds right now, a part of the campaign in the East." It had been nearly 10 years since the war began. Though Link had been but a young boy at the time, war had a way of making one grow up fast.

He'd seen his first real combat at the age of 9 when Navi woke him to go help the Great Deku Tree. Since then, he'd felled more creatures and seen more death and destruction than anyone had a right to. _Stupid Navi…everything was so much simpler before she showed up…_

"You heard the old man said. We have to collect the pendants and then he'll…"

"Yes, I know Asher. 'You must prove your worth by finding the three pendants. Bring them back to me and I'll give you what you seek.'" Quoted Link. "I just don't get it. Haven't we seen enough combat? We aren't exactly unknown around these parts. What's with this 'prove your worth' junk?"

"Well the guy was pretty old…he could be one of those hermits. Probably doesn't even know there's a war on."

"Haha, that sure would explain a few things... I wonder why an old hermit needs the pendants anyway…"

"We'll find out soon enough, I guess. There can't be much more jungle left, I think we've chopped down almost all of…AHH!"

_--A few minutes later—_

"Asher…can you hear me?" The voice sounded faint at first, but slowly grew in intensity. "Li…Link?" Asher looked around but the world was still fuzzy.

"Bout time you woke up, you've been out for some time. How am I supposed to get the Power Bracelet without my partner in crime?" Link harassed.

"Wha…what happened?" As his eyes slowly adjusted, Asher began to take in the area. They were in a small cavern. Light seemed to be seeping in from somewhere overhead so that the whole area was soak in a dim, eerie glow.

"You took a hard fall right into this underground cavern. The brush was so dense; we didn't see the hole till we were right on top of it. I nearly toppled right on top of you myself…" At this, Link reached down to help Asher up. "Maybe we deserve to be stuck looking for pendants, we're losing our touch"

"Heh" mumbled Asher as he slowly got up. His muscles ached but he'd seen far worse. "I was never much for stomping around anyway. Clearing brush, trying to find pendants in a jungle…give me a straight fight any day!"

"You asked for it."

"Huh?"

"LOOK!" Link pointed forward. Asher shifted his gaze to the wall on the far side of the cavern. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. As he walked closer, his eyes finally adjusted completely to the lighting. It was at that moment he understood what Link was talking about. Carved into the very bedrock ahead looked to be a decorative wall. And in the middle, what looked almost like a door.

"Are you sure the pendant is in there?"

"Of course I'm sure. The old man said a temple in the jungle. Did you see any other temples out here?"

"Good point and even if the pendant isn't there, I'm sure there's something else worth getting. There's always something of value hidden away in these old things. Remember when we found that old hook-shot?"

"As if it were yesterday! Either way, no more jungle for us. It'll be bats, undead, and demonic monsters from here on out!" Link said half cheerily, half sarcastically.

_Finally, some action…_

_He should have been here now._ _Sigh. Where could he be?_ _All he had to do was get the Power Bracelet from the old man._

* * *

"…Princes Zelda?"

"Er, what?" Zelda jumped at being startled from her thoughts. She looked up to see Tera, her longtime assistant and friend, standing before her.

"We're approaching Kirdin."

_Oh…right. _"Thank you Tera." _At least things will finally liven up a bit._ Zelda had been traveling with Tera and some dozen guards for several days now. While small skirmishes were ever-present, there had been no large scale conflict with Gannon in weeks.

Hyrule kingdom had seized this lull as an opportunity to finally go on the offensive. While the Pentor Tragin, Hyrule's top general was leading that campaign in the East, Zelda had been left at the castle. As a general rule, royalty was not supposed to go gallivanting around on the battlefield. Still, it was so dreadfully boring at the castle sometimes.

Last contact with General Tragin had been well over a week ago. And then contact had suddenly been lost with the Goron city of Kirdin. Tired of being cooped up in the castle, Zelda decided to lead the investigation herself. _Something just doesn't feel right about this…_

"Are you alright, Zelda?"

"I'm fine, Tera. Just thinking about some things. It isn't like Gannon to lay low for so long. He's up to something. And there have been a lot of strange things going on throughout the kingdom lately."

"Somehow I doubt Gannon was behind the mysterious disappearance of that pair of shoes you never wear," Tera teased, "you worry too much Zelda."

"Just being careful. It's my duty as Princess; I have to watch out for my peop…"

"Yeah yeah, I've heard that one before. You need to lighten up. If Link were here, he'd tell you the same thing."

Not long ago, Link and Asher had been dispatched to retrieve the Power Bracelet. They were to accompany Zelda's entourage to Kirdin when they returned but they hadn't yet been received at the castle. This trip couldn't wait any longer.

_All they had to do was go talk to that strange old hermit on the edge of the kingdom. It shouldn't have taken more than two days, three at most. _"Link…Asher…Where could they be…" Zelda mumbled. In response, Tera rolled her eyes at the worrisome princess and marched on ahead. _She's so in love, _thought Tera, _she'll just never admit it, not even to herself._

In the meantime, Zelda went back to daydreaming. While she and Tera were some of the most capable fighters in the kingdom surpassed only by Link, Asher and a handful of others, there was something about having Link around that Zelda found comforting. And his presence would have been even more welcome now. _This dress isn't exactly conducive to effective combat…_

Lost in her considerations of how exactly she'd fight moblins while wearing her elegant, flowing gown, Zelda didn't notice everyone else had stopped suddenly and stood in silence.

"Oof, hey!" She yelped in surprise as she bumped into the person in front of her. After regaining her composure, she took a few steps to the side to get a better view of what everyone was looking at-what should have been Kirdin.

Tera was the first to break the silence, "By the goddesses, Gannon will pay for this!"

_I knew I should have brought my Sheik cloths…_

* * *

CRASH

"Could you make any more noise killing that thing?? I thought the whole reason for chasing down that stalfo was so he couldn't warn the others." Asher asked panting, struggling to keep up

"Time for Plan B" Link yelled back

"And that is…?"

"A hell of a lot more fun, come on!"

_At least there are only a few rooms left in this place,_ Asher assured himself. Just then the two turned the last corner and entered a long corridor.

"Clear sailing, all the way." As if on cue, half a dozen giant spider-looking Tektites appeared out of nowhere and blasted Link with stinky adhesive strips, temporarily immobilizing him. It wouldn't last long, but it'd be long enough. "Hey, what the…! I can't move! Uh oh, Like-likes? I'm in trouble…"

The item-eating monster inched closer and there wasn't a thing Link could do about it. In the blink of an eye, a massive tentacle reached out and Link's shield was gone. It was about to reach in for seconds when an arrow seared by within inches of Link's face and slammed into the like-like. Had the monster a face, it would have shown an expression of utter shock. Then it took off like a bullet the other direction. Thinking Link was alone, Asher's appearance took the stealthy yet weak Tektites totally by surprise. Their presence was quickly a fading memory

"You shouldn't have gotten so far ahead." Asher reprimanded as he helped Link quickly helped Link break free from the adhesive. "It didn't get anything, did it?"

"Only my shield." Link called back as he raced after the like-like.

_When will he learn patience? Ah well…Charge!!_


	2. The Plot Thickens

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just trying my hand at writing about it.

* * *

From the ridge overlooking Kirdin, the town looked abandoned and some of the buildings were smoldering. The smell of smoke hung in the air.

"Stay here, Princess Zelda, Lady Theromore. We'll check it out." Tera rolled her eyes both at being called by such a formal title and at the thought that she would stay put.

"Yes Captain" she replied, feigning agreement. As soon as the soldiers were safely away, Tera pulled out a bundle and threw it at Zelda.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Open it." ordered Tera as she opened a similar bundle.

"…my Sheik clothes?? How did you…?"

"Unlike you, I always come prepared. You didn't honestly think I'd let those soldiers have all the fun while we ladies sat around, did you?" teased Tera.

"What would I do without you, Lady Theromore?" Zelda said overly dramatic, emphasizing the last two words.

"Sit around the castle, be waited on hand and foot…"

"…be over-weight from lack of exercise and be bored to death is more like it."

"I'm glad you've finally come to appreciate my finer qualities, Zelda."

Moments later, the two were ready for action. Practiced magic allowed them to put the Sheikah garb over their dresses. The garb would reform to a perfect fit within seconds. Magic also allowed them to disguise their voices. Just as they were about to head out, one of the soldiers came running back.

"Princess Zelda, I…oh" the startled private stopped in mid-sentence. "Master Sheik, I didn't know you and Master Shandra were accompanying us. Captain Cyatan ordered me back to protect Princess Zelda and Lady Theromore.

"We can take it from here, thank you Taylor. You can report back to Captain Cyatan. I'm sure he could use you." Said Zelda, inwardly giggling at how low and masculine her voice sounded as Sheik.

"I know those two are in good hands if the two of you are watching their backs. I feel sorry for any poor saps who try to mess with them now." called Taylor as he headed back down the hill.

As soon as he was out of an earshot, the two disguised women fell into a fit of laughter. Only a handful knew the true identities of Sheik and Shandra. Even so, the lower echelons of the Hyrulian military weren't always the smartest in the world.

"Alright, let's go" said Zelda, trying to stifle the giggles.

Within moments, the two were stealthily moving from building to building in Kirdin. Closer inspection revealed that the city was not quite as deserted as had originally appeared. While no Gorons were in sight, there were Tektites scurrying around commanded by squads of brutish moblins. They didn't look too kindly at the investigating Hyrulian troupe and the two groups had begun fighting in the streets.

This provided the perfect distraction for Sheik and Shandra. The women were stealthy under normal conditions. With an all out brawl going on, it was almost too easy. They skillfully made their way behind enemy lines, following the general flow of troops to and from the brawl.

Eventually, they made it to what appeared to be the nerve-center of the monsters' operation. It was an unremarkable, sturdy building in the city's northwest quadrant. The flow of troops in and out made getting inside through the main door nearly impossible. Fortunately, the brawl downtown had pulled the normal sentries away from the tiny windows. These slits in the walls were far too small for armored warriors to get through. But with for the slender spies, they were no trouble with the help of a little magic.

The building was simple. There was one main room with a few side rooms which provided excellent hiding places. In the main room, a battle-worn moblins (clearly more experienced than those outside) and a mystical, translucent wizrobe stood over a table.

"…the time is soon approaching…" began the wizrobe.

"We need to bring them through NOW!" interrupted a moblin. "This operation has been compromised. We can't allow survivors to warn Hyrule."

"We will wait until the assigned time." The Wizrobe replied. Though his tone remained even, his animosity toward the moblin couldn't have been more clear. "The Master's plan took a possible Hylian incursion into account. We will wait for the Master's orders."

"This whole operation is about to go to hell!"

"The Master has foreseen this. We will proceed in accordance with His will. Do not contradict His commands unless you're ready to face Him and explain why you caused His plan to fail." The wizrobe responded smugly.

"Now I must be off to make preparations." stated the wizrobe matter-of-factly as he started to walk to the west wall. "Follow the plan or it'll be your head." He called back to the brooding moblin. He then touched a gem on a nearby table, causing a dimensional rift through which he stepped and vanished. Moments later, the rift dissipated.

"I wonder what they were talking about…'bring them through'" whispered Tera. "Who are they?"

"I don't know, but we have to stop them. This place is only a few days from the castle. The main body of the army is weeks away. Gannon's army at our doorstep is the last thing we need."

CLANK. The front door loudly shut as the moblin left to take command outside. A few minutes passed and no monsters entered the building. "I wonder where the wizrobe went…" pondered Tera.

Zelda glanced around in a final sweep of the main room, "Only one way to find out." She hopped out from her hiding place and grabbed the jewel on the table. An instant later, the rift opened again.

"After you, Lady Theromore" Zelda smirked internally.

"Of all times you pick now to be bold" Tera lamented sarcastically. "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Asher was as fast as Link, but not quite as nimble. It was easier to keep pace in this long corridor. The two nearly reached the like-like when the corridor ended and all three of them were in an open room with no exits and a small pillar in the middle.

"We've got you now!" Link taunted the like-like. The creature continued moving to the far side of the room. Though the like-like was by no means slow, Link and Asher were faster. They were nearly on top of it when a dimensional rift of unknown cause suddenly opened to allow the like-like passage and then closed immediately.

"That's not fair! I want my shield back."

Right at that moment, an iron gate slammed down in front of the only exit and the floor began to rumble.

"Why am I not surp-" A blast of sand from the floor stopped Asher in mid-sentence and knocked him into the wall twenty feet back. Seconds later, a previously unseen giant sand monster rose out of the center pillar. All the sand which had layered the floor was drawn to the pillar, increasing the creature's size and revealing a tile floor underneath. Upon reaching its full height, the monster took a massive swing at Link, who managed to dodge out of the way, if barely.

"I want my shield!" bellow Link as he flew threw the air at the creature, attempting to sink the Master Sword into what appeared to be its stomach. Moments before impact, the creature's mid-section crumbled into the floor, only to reform itself after Link sailed through to the other side. _Well that was…different._ A back-hand, swing from the creature sent Link flying into the far wall. "Argh"

That last hit knocked a bomb out of Link's pack, which immediately lit due to its magical nature.

"LINK!" Shouted Asher as he raced across the room. Just barely dodging another attack from the sand creature, he barreled into Link, knocking him away from the bomb and to the ground. The bomb's explosion had caused the creature's latest attack to dissipate. The two were safe for the moment.

"What is that rushing water sound?" The Link looked back at where the bomb had been. A chunk of the floor had been blown to bits and from below came the sound of rushing water. A smile slowly crept across his face.

"Hey you! I have a present for ya" Link shouted at the creature as he pulled out another bomb. If the sand monster understood, it made no indication of it as it continued to attack Asher and Link with massive, if uncoordinated blows. Link's first attempted bombing failed. The creature whipped around and knocked the bomb away seconds before it went off. The next attempt likewise failed.

"I need a diversion!" cried Link.

"One diversion coming up!" Asher lunged at the creature much like Link had what seemed like an eternity ago. As before, the creature temporarily dissipated. Right at that second, Link threw another bomb. This time, the creature had no chance to bat it away. In contrast, it reformed itself right on top of it. The blast blew the creature apart along with a section of the flooring. As the sand attempted to reform at the pillar, much of it fell through the hole and into the water.

The remaining sand formed a monster which was nowhere near as large, as quick or as strong as the first. Through coordinated attacks, Link and Asher were able to finish it off. As the last granules of sand were washed away, the iron gate receded and a treasure chest magically appeared. _After all that, this better be that stupid pendant…_


	3. Zelda and Tera Stranded

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just trying my hand at writing about it.

* * *

Fortunately, the wizrobe had exited the rift and immediately proceeded to do whatever task he came to do. Fortunately, his rift opened off to the side, away from high traffic areas. When Sheik and Shandra appeared, no monsters were there waiting for them.

"What the…a cave? That rock could have transported us anywhere."

THUMP THUMP THUMP

"Shhh! Come on," Sheik instructed as she motioned forward. "We've gotta find out what's making that sound. The old wizrobe can't be far."

The two spies cautiously moved through the tunnel toward a larger cavern. As they approached what appeared to be the main corridor, all color drained from their faces.

"…this is impossible" Tera awed.

"…Iron Knuckles? I thought there were only a handful of them…"

Throughout the ages, iron knuckles had grown infamous for their cruelty, matched only by their swordsmanship and fighting skills. They wore heavy armor and usually carried a sword and shield, though some carried a two-handed war axe. Only three were known to exist and they had all been killed in the face of overwhelming numerical odds, and even then just barely.

Yet here and now, before the women marched dozens, maybe even a few hundred iron knuckles, all with polished armor glistening even in the dimly lit cavern. The wizrobe floated nearby, viewing the military parade with satisfaction. The synchronized marching made the caused a steady thump thump thump throughout the entire cave.

"Are the preparations complete" a nearby mummy asked the old wizard.

"Nearly. We were discovered by a small troupe of Hylians but that is of no matter. As soon as their presence is neutralized, I will energize the rift and our elite force will be within a day's forced march of Hyrule Castle. The Master shall have the Triforce and the kingdom just as He foresaw. Mwhahahaha!"

The wizrobe's maniacal laughter made Sheik cringe. It was even weirder because the monster usually spoke in such an even, matter-of-fact tone.

"We've got to warn the troops before it's too late."

"Come on, Zelda" Shandra had already started heading back to the portal. "The gem on this side should allow us passage back to Kirdin."

* * *

The moblins and tektites were falling back. Tektites were frail, stealthy creatures. Moblins were more brawlers than fighters. Once the Hylians reformed and reorganized their numbers, the monsters were constantly being pushed back.

After a short while, the few remaining monsters had begun taking defensive positions in the only place left they could retreat to, their command center.

"Ahh!" Taylor yelled as he slashed away, "scratch one moblin!" _Boy, Princess Zelda is going to be so proud of me! Maybe she'll even give me a kiss._ The lad's face turned beat red for a moment at the mere thought of it.

"Taylor! Watch out!" shouted his compatriot Cindrius as he jumped in between Taylor and a moblin, blocking the moblin's spear thrust with his shield in the nick of time while stabbing the vile creature with his dagger.

"Stay sharp and don't get sloppy," Cindrius commanded. "I may not be here to watch your back next time." And then, looking at his friend more solemly and with a hint of sympathy, he quietly added, "and this is no place to be thinking of the Princess."

"I was not!" Just then, the captain rode up on his white steed, interrupting the friendly quarrel.

"That's it lads, drive the brutes back to the wall!" shouted the captain. "If that building is where they want to make their last stand, I say we smoke 'em out! Ready the bombs." Moments later, the door was knocked down and two bombs thrown in. One to do the job, the other for good measure.

* * *

"After you," Sheik said in a sweet, sarcastic manner as she activated the rift.

"Why thank you," replied Shandra in an equally sarcastic tone as she stepped toward the rift. "I only hope we can find enough soldiers to-"

KA-BOOM

Both women were knocked back by an explosion which came from the portal. Sheik was the first to get up. She quickly tried to reactivate their only method of transport but to no avail. "What the hell is happening in Kirdin!?"

"The blast came from over here, sir." Came a voice from down the hall.

"Shit, Zelda, HIDE!"

* * *

"I need to see Zelda." Link practically commanded the guard manning the front gate of Hyrule Castle.

"Um sire, she…"

Link didn't hear the reply, he was already too far away, heading deeper into the fortress. _She's probably in the triforce room. She's always hanging around that place._

At his rapid, nearly running pace, Link and Asher made it to the outskirts of the heavily guarded triforce chamber within minutes. It was guarded by only the best, most loyal troops in the kingdom.

"We got the Power Bracelet just like the triforce commanded." Asher told the head guard, still a good twenty feet away from the chamber entrance.

"Yeah we got this weird bracelet. Now I say me, Asher, Zelda and Tera go and kick some Gannon butt!"

"The Princess Zelda is not here." The guard wrinkled his nose at Link. It displeased him that he should refer to her in such an informal manner. But he was a great war hero and personal friend of the princess so he was allowed to do what he liked for the most part.

"What do you mean, she isn't here?"

"She went to Kirdin to investigate a disturbance there. We received a report several hours ago that moblins and tektites were encountered…but our brave troops have been valiantly putting down the enemy!"

"SHE'S WHERE?"

"Thank you for your time, sir." Asher called back to the guard as he chased Link back down the hall. _Does that kid ever walk?_

"Ah, Link! My boy, Asher!" Bellowed King Harkin as he saw the two reemerge in the courtyard. "I was hoping you would be back soon."

"My Lord, how can we be of service." Link diverted his path and slowed to a stop before the King.

"I have a most urgent matter which requires your attention. It seems General Tragin has run into a little snag. A messenger fairy just got word to us that a group of heavily equipped monsters of some kind recently appeared on the scene. In addition, enemy forces have gained a great deal of cohesion and discipline over the last few days. Tragin's army is at a stand still," the King explained.

"But what about Tera and Zelda? They're over in Kirdin. Shouldn't we wait for them?" the usually calm Asher asked worriedly.

"The soldiers we sent to Kirdin were more than enough to handle the task. Besides, you two know as well as I that those two women are not ones to be trifled with," the King winked and continued, "I want you two to meet up with Tragin and get to the bottom of this. Besides, your presence will be an added morale boost for our young men…not to mention a terror to our enemies there." King Harkin.

"But we-"

"There are two horses already waiting for you at the front gate." The King cut Link off and began to walk away. "Good luck!"

A few seconds passed as the two young men stood in silence, their brains desperately trying to process what had just happened.

"So…shall we to the East?"


	4. Taylor and Zelda

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

"The Master will not be pleased with you." The stone-faced wizrobe told a handful of nearby stalfos. "You were supposed to be keeping an eye on the rift, ensuring it remained functioning."

"But master, we were assured that you had enough soldiers in Kirdin…and the rift couldn't have been destroyed from this side. You failed to request the necessary soldiers to hold the city!" Responded the lead stalfo.

"Enough!" cried the wizrobe, clearly angered at being blamed for the failure. He quickly recovered his emotions. "Someone will have to be punished," he smiled evilly, "I am truly sorry." He said, making a half-hearted attempt at sounding regretful before blasting the stalfos with a powerful salvo of magic, disintegrating them instantly. "It's so hard to find good minions these days." The wizrobe stated smugly before heading back to the main cavern.

From up above, Shandra scowled. "That pompous ass!" She whispered vehemently. Seconds before the wizrobe and stalfos came within view, Sheik and Shandra had leapt to the cavern ceiling. Their magic allowed them to cling to the roof. Their magic also helped conceal them somewhat, though they would still be seen if someone looked directly at them.

"Never mind that…we must be deep in Death Mountain somewhere…how are we going to get out of here?" Once the sound of marching iron knuckles died down, the two dropped to the floor and slowly began creeping along, looking for any clue as to where the exit was. _Why can't they just put up a sign?_

* * *

Victory was at hand, Gannon's army had been vanquished once again. But there were still a number of unanswered questions. _How did a group of monsters get so deep into Hylian territory without being discovered? And more disturbing, where were all the Gorons? I'll let the captain worry about those things. I'm just glad the Princess is safe. I wonder if she saw me taking out those moblins…_

"Taylor, you've gotta get her out of your head." Cindrius said quietly, yanking Taylor out of his day dream of the fair Princess.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor attempted to feint innocence.

"You were thinking about the Princess again. You're obsessed. Ever since that day she visited the academy."

That wasn't entirely true. Taylor wasn't obsessed…but he did have quite the crush on the young princess.

_...It was a warm summer day in Hyrule. Taylor had just finished his training for the afternoon and was starting his cool-down exercises before settling in for a late dinner._

"_Everybody to the parade grounds! It's time for the annual cadet review. Your barrack quarters will be undergoing a surprise inspection in the meantime."_

_Taylor left what he was doing and quickly straightened up his bunk for a moment before heading outside. He wouldn't get a perfect score on this inspection but he wasn't about to fail it._

"_Come on Taylor, hurry up! I heard the Princess Zelda is going to be at the review." Called Cindrius as he ran over and grabbed Taylor's arm, yanking him out the door._

"_Psha, the princess. Seen one, seen them all. She's probably fat, lazy, and spoiled rotten."_

_Minutes later Taylor, Cindrius and the rest of the troops were lined up on the parade ground. The sun was beginning to set, casting a multitude of colors across the sky. The air was warm, though a cool breeze passed through ever so often._

'_Alright, lets get this over with. I'm hungry,' Taylor thought impatiently. 'I hate these stupid reviews. I'm so glad this is my last one. I'm getting a new assignment next fall and moving out of this stinking place._

"_Is this all of them?" asked a soft, female voice. _

'_That can't be the Princess, she doesn't sound at all shrill. Must be some overworked hand maiden here to make sure everything is picture perfect for the Princess. Yes, there's no way that's Zelda' Taylor mused as he stared straight forward, willing the review to end quickly._

"_Yes, everyone is accounted for." Responded the gruff sergeant._

"_With Gannon's forces plotting and planning, we're going to need everyone we can." Zelda said to the sergeant. Then she began walking along, reviewing the lined up grunts._

"_I want to thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart for volunteering to serve the Hyrule. We owe you our freedom. Without you, Gannon's forces would enslave us all. We owe you our lives, our well-being, our very existence." Zelda began. _

"_Through my past personal experiences with Gannondorf, this war hits me personally."_

'_Blah blah blah, on with it!' Urged Taylor mentally. 'Aw crap, she's almost to me. I guess I should try not to look so bored.' For the first time, Taylor glanced over to get his first good look at the princess. What he saw nearly made his jaw drop._

_She didn't look like a lazy, spoiled, pimple-faced brat at all. On the contrary, she was skinny and physically fit. Even in the twilight, it was impossible not to notice her perfect tan and flawless complexion. 'She's actually kinda cute…' With every step she took closer, Taylor became more and more enamored with her beauty. _

_As she approached him, she slowed…or maybe it was all in his head. Taylor's world seemed to be moving in slow motion._

_She finally stopped right in front of him and smiled the most beautiful smile Taylor had ever seen. The way the light shown off her silky light-brown hair and perfect skin made the awestruck lad think he was looking at an angel._

"_I want to thank you for being so brave!" she said, looking right at him but addressing the entire corp. Taylor subsequently turned all sorts of red. Fortunately, Zelda walked on and didn't seem to notice. Taylor could barely tear his eyes away from her as she walked passed._

'_I'll show you I'm brave and strong, Princess Zelda. I'll protect this land…and you! I'll die before I let anything bad happen to you, my angel.' Swore Taylor mentally as she passed out of sight. The rest of the evening was a blur..._

"I'm as optimistic as the next guy, Taylor, but come on. She's the PRINCESS. The heiress to the kingdom. And we're not exactly royalty…besides, she spends all sorts of time with that guy Sheik…and of course there are rumors about her and Link…"

_I'm just as good as them and one day I'll prove it! _"Those are rumors and nothing more, Cindrius. Now help me clear the rubble out of this doorway. We need to check for any goron survivors.

"Captain Cyatan! Come quick!" shouted a soldier from the ridge.

"What is it, soldier?" asked the captain worriedly as he rode his horse up toward the call.

"The Princess Zelda and Lady Theromore aren't here!"

"What!?"

_WHAT!? SHIT SHIT SHIT_

* * *

"Excccccelent woooooork," came a slow, hissing voice from the shadows. "The Maasssssster will be pleasssssssed."

The like-like bounced happily in response. The blob's lack of vocal cords made any intelligible vocal response impossible.

"We can mimic the young heeeero'sss shieeeeld to enhanccce the clonesssss. Their froooontal armor will be truuuuly indesssstrucctible." The hissing creature passed the shield off to a smaller, ugly creature in the shadows and laughed evilly. All the while, the like-like bounced even more wildly.


	5. Enter Iron Knuckles

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

As the two women snuck from chamber to chamber, they began to hear a faint clanging.

"What is that? It doesn't sound like combat…and its definitely not more iron knuckles mindlessly marching along." Pondered Shandra aloud.

"Only one way to find out, come on." Whispered Sheik.

The sound grew progressively louder as they drew closer to the source. Then they saw it. Hundreds of Gorons in chains!

"They must have come from Kirdin…" Sheik trailed off in mid sentence as a Goron not twenty-five feet away from her was whipped by a nearby stalfo.

"Faster, you lazy piece of garbage!" snarled the stalfo. "From now on, we're switching to double production!"

The young goron who couldn't have been more than fifteen himself cringed and cowered in fright from the stalfo and then began working even faster.

"You're lucky Vulga isn't hungry right now, stupid goron; you'd be the first to go." The stalfo threatened before walking on, taking no note of the pace with which the goron had started working.

"They're all monsters, both inside and out." Sighed Sheik half at the treatment of the goron and half because she wasn't at all surprised by it.

"Look over there!" Shandra pointed to the end of the production line. Sheik's eyes followed an imaginary line from Shandra's finger to the far end of the cavern. "They're…building…"

"So that's where all those iron knuckles came from. Must be some spirit, maybe a poe, or an enchantment that controls those hollow suits of armor." Just then, a loud whistled was heard over all the clanking of hammers. To Sheik, Shandra, and the Gorons it sounded more like nails on a chalkboard. Apparently a goron a little farther down had stepped out of line. A group of stalfos descended on the old man, pummeling him mercilessly before he was led to who knows where by a few shadowy creatures.

From their hiding place, the women could see a new wizrobe appear out of nowhere and speak to the stalfo who seemed to be in charge at the end of the assembly line. Then the mage held up a shield.

"That…that looks like Link's shield! I know the symbols on that magical metal as if it were my own. How'd the old wizrobe get it?"

"If only we could get close enough to hear what they're saying…"

* * *

_This campaign has been going well, almost too well._ Thought General Tragin. _Perhaps Gannon's power truly is waning._

"General Tragin, we've finally broken through the enemy's lines. Do we have orders to pursuit?"

"By all means!" the General bellowed as he sent his horse into a gallop away from his observation post and toward the front line. "All units, pursue and destroy the enemy. Let's end this today!"

For a short while the enemy continued to fall back, though in good order. Then suddenly new, heavy infantry appeared on the battlefront, firming up the battle lines once again. They seemed to appear out of nowhere. The very best in the Hylian army crashed headlong into them…and their advance was stemmed.

"Form up, and try again boys!" cried Tragin, still making his way up to the front. "What the…that's impossible!" Sight of the iron knuckles made him swear colorfully under his breath. "It's gotta be some sort of magic trick. Proceed with attack! We will not be halted by impossible illusions! We're so close boys, help me push them back!"

The finest troops in Hyrule earned their keep that afternoon, but not even they could stop a full army of iron knuckles. As the soldiers around Tragin melted away, his horse had other ideas. Finally succumb by fear, it reared up, threw of its rider, and took off like lightning away from the fight. Cries of "every man for himself" rang loud as men tried to save themselves by running in any direction they could away from the front.

In the heat of battle, the sound of the marching heavy infantry had nearly been drowned out. Now, with only Tragin and a few others still fighting the ominous THUMP THUMP THUMP seemed like it was coming from everywhere.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

"You'll never take me alive. For HYRULE!" Tragin shouted as he lunged at a nearby iron knuckle.

THUMP THUMP THUMP

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

* * *

Days after they set out, Link and Asher finally approached the area where they were supposed to meet an envoy from General Tragin who would then escort them to the front. They found no one.

"This is odd…did we miss the war?" Link wondered aloud.

"There's gotta be someone around here. Let's keep going. I bet they're just over that hill."

The two heroes scaled the small mountain with ease but saw no one. Results were the same.

"Entire armies don't just disappear, where could they be?"

"Hey! Look!" yelled Asher as he pointed to a small cave in the mountain side. Link looked over and saw what looked like a man peaking out.

"You there! Do you know the location of the Hylian army?"

"Stay back, or I'll flay you!...oh, Sir Link, Sir Asher. I apologize. I did not recognize you at first." The old soldier stepped out from his hiding place. His armor was heavily worn but it was still all in one piece. His helmet was missing and it looked like he hadn't shaved in a week. The soldier also had a nasty scar running down the left side of his face.

"My name is Atkin. And the army you seek, well, look at me. I am the army." Link and Asher looked on in confusion so Atkin continued, "not long ago, we broke through enemy lines. We thought we had them routed. As events played out, it was we who played the part of the fool. We chased them for miles until they reached favorable terrain. Then they suddenly received reinforcements and reformed. Our advance was stemmed and we were suddenly hit in both flanks by an enemy we didn't even know was there. We played right into their hands…"

"I, and those in equally bad shape or worse, are all that's left of the Hylian army you seek. Those of us who survived the battle fled. I eventually met up with a handful of others and we've been hiding ever since, trying to figure out what to do next."

"General Tragin?"

"Last I saw, he was still at the front lines. I don't dare imagine what horrible fate he suffered at those iron knuckles."

"Whoa slow down. Iron Knuckles? Those things don't exist anymore." Corrected Asher.

"Yeah, we destroyed them all some time back." Added Link.

"I don't know where they came from, my lords, but whatever appeared on that battlefield wore the heavy armor and wielded the heavy weaponry of those legendary evil warriors…and they fought well, too. There's not a moblin or stalfo whose ever bested me in battle one-on-one. But these things…they fought like nothing I've ever seen."

"And you said there were more of these things?"

"Yes, Sir Link, hundreds of them! And they'll be marching toward Hyrule proper before long, I'd wager."

"Great…you said there are more soldiers nearby?"

"Yes, I think so. Handfuls here and there. No real army left, though."

"Still better than nothing; we need to track them down and reorganize. Even if we can't engage in open combat, we may still be able to slow them down somehow. We need to warn Hyrule Castle. We may need help from the Triforce of Wisdom on this one."

Link looked over at Asher, "and aside from you, me, the girls and the king, no one has the authority to access its chamber."

"So the question is, who gets to stay here and have all the fun and who has to go try to solve the Triforce's riddles?" Asked Link rhetorically. "…why are you two looking at me?"

"There's not a Hylian in the kingdom who has more clout than you, Link," Asher explained. "If the King, the army, and the people are going to listen to anyone, it'd be you. Besides," Asher smirked, "waging a patient and persistent guerilla campaign isn't exactly your style."

"Yeah but you know I can't understand that damn triforce," Link argued. He looked to Atkin for backup but was stabbed in the back.

"He's right. Your famous, Link! Besides, nobody else has a clue what the triforce is talking about half the time either."

"Fine!" Link sighed heavily and got back on his horse. "But if you're all dead when I get back, it's your fault, Asher." _I still wonder why the triforce told us to get this weird Power Bracelet…_


	6. Pulling Together

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

Shandra signed heavily as the two girls navigated through the maze-like cave they were in. Thus far, they had been effective in hiding themselves. Still, watching their back and being on guard every moment for several days while getting very little sleep was exhausting.

Since their first day, she and Sheik had run across several more goron chambers. Throughout the cave there existed a random assortment of stalfos, moblins, mummies, the occasional wizrobe and various other creatures. The iron knuckles were assembled in the goron chambers, enchanted and activated. They then marched from these points to central location and, the women assumed, moved outside for battle.

Shandra and Sheik had been attempting to follow the infamous warriors to said exit, but constant sentries and monsters milling about combined with the sheer size of the cave meant progress was very slow.

"I think I see the exit," Sheik exclaimed.

"Don't tease me like that, Zelda. I'm tired. I just want to get out of this place." Shandra grumbled. Despite her disbelief, she looked up and indeed saw what looked like a natural light coming from down the tunnel and around the corner. "It's a miracle! Let's move!"

Through their excitement, they almost didn't miss the soft sound of many footsteps heading in their direction.

"Wait, somebody's coming!" The two instantly hid themselves. They peaked out from their concealed positions expecting to see a group of monsters. Instead, they saw a dozen of what looked like real people being escorted by a few moblins and a single iron knuckle. The prisoners all had good physique but looked like they had been badly beaten and stripped of all but the most basic possessions.

"Move it!" Shouted a moblin who then turned to another escort, "They aren't as durable as the gorons, but they'll serve their purpose. There are plenty more on the way." The iron knuckle offered no response and kept marching.

"They're…Hylians."

"But the only Hylians in this area are in…Tragin's…army…" Sheik looked over at Shandra. Only her facial coverings disguised the look of sheer horror at the realization that large portions of the main Hylian army had been taken captive and were being enslaved. Now very little stood in the way of Gannon's army, newly reinforced by the invincible iron knuckles, and the triforce.

As soon as the group was passed, it was safe to move on.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

He appreciated what Cindrius was trying to do, he really did. Cindrius and most of his other friends had been super nice to him since Kirdin. Who had been told what, Taylor didn't know. He'd only told Cindrius about his infatuation with the Princess but the goddesses only knew who he had told. _Quite frankly, I don't care anymore._

They'd searched Kirdin and the surrounding area inside and out and had found no sign of Zelda, Tera, Shandra, Sheik or any gorons. They were still missing.

"I'll have another one," Taylor said to the barkeep as he tossed up a few rupees. Tonight his friends had decided to go out to an exotic pub and had pulled him along. _It's hard to argue against alcohol and dancing girls...even if I don't feel much like partying._

The unhappy soldier looked over to the stage and smiled a little at what he saw. _Maybe Cindrius is right. What chance did I have with a Princess anyway? Just another unattainable dream…_

Right then, a cute girl several years Taylor's younger plopped down next to him at the bar.

"What'll it be?" the barkeep asked.

"Whatever he's buying for me." The girl replied, smiling coyly and motioning at Taylor.

"Do I know you?" A surprised Taylor turned and asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not yet…but if you play your cards right you just might." Winked the girl. "I'm Malon."

_Interesting…well let's just see how this goes…_

--

"I hope Taylor is enjoying himself, he's had a rough week." Cindrius said to one of his fellow soldiers at the club as the two got ready to leave.

"Last I saw, he was nursing a drink by himself at the bar. That was half an hour ago."

"Sigh well, we did what we could. He'll snap out of it eventually. I wish we could get the old Taylor back."

"We better go find him and head out."

The two made their way toward the bar and were surprised that they didn't see Taylor there. Rather, didn't see him sitting by himself slowly sipping his drink like they expected. Instead, they saw him lively chatting with a cute red head.

"How'd he pick up a girl like that sitting by himself being depressed? Man, I need to try that." Mused Cindrius' companion. "Isn't that Malon?"

"Malon? The girl from Lon Lon Ranch? I hear her family is rich…"

"…I'd so tap that…"

"There's not a Hylian this side of Zora's Domain who wouldn't if he had the chance… Well it doesn't look he's going to want to leave for a while, Bani, we might as well find some girls of our own."

--

"So, how was your night, buddy?" Cindrius asked Taylor with a smirk.

"Fine…?" Answered a drowsy Taylor. Undetered by Taylor's feigned ignorance, Cindrius proceeded with the interrogation.

"Are you and Malon an item, yet?"

"Me…and Malon?" Taylor responded in surprise and then his eyes lit up and he grinned. "Yeah, me and Malon!"

* * *

_It's not much, but it'll have to do for now._ Asher reviewed the troops he'd been able to round up. There were nearly thirty in all. A far cry from the masses that had made up the Hylian army. This team of tired and dirty soldiers wasn't even fully equipped but they were ready to put their lives on the line for their nation.

Just then, a group of three soldiers walked quickly over to Asher.

"Atkin, report."

"My scouts and I discovered troop movements just on the other side of the Verdin pass. They weren't moving out yet, but it looks like they meant to move through there within a few days time." Replied Atkin.

"The Verdin pass is the most direct path through the mountains. If they're allowed to pass through there, it'll shave nearly a week off their travel time to Hyrule proper…" Asher trailed off.

"Sir, I have an idea. We may not be well-equipped for a pitched battle, but one thing the army had a lot of were are bombs. We could use them to cause a rock slide into the pass," Atkin continued, "They weren't useful in the typical melee of the campaign so we didn't go through very many of them. There should be a cache a few miles southeast of here. I doubt anyone has retrieved them yet."

"That's a fantastic idea! Let's make it happen." Within minutes, the whole camp knew the plan. Atkin took his two companions, plus seven more to go retrieve the bombs. Within an hour they were back with as many explosives as they could carry.

Within minutes of their return, the nine plus Asher and a handful of others set out to put the bombs in place. For once, everything seemed to go smoothly. All the bombs were in place and Atkin was about to set the fuse when a shout rang out.

"INTRUDERS, SOUND THE ALARM!" Shouted a moblin who had spied them from a good eighty feet away. Asher whipped out his bow and shot the offending moblin square between the eyes, taking him down instantly. But Asher's lightning reflexes were too late. Alarms were blaring nearby and it would be a matter of minutes before a company of moblins were on top of them.

"Too late to back out now, fire in the hole!" Atkin lit the fuse. The bombs exploded Just as the moblins were coming around the bend. Tons of rock, not to mention a few moblins, flew through the air. As the smoke cleared, a massive wall of debris was obstructing the pass.

"Enjoy the calling card, moblins!" shouted a soldier.

"Well…they know we're here. But that wall ought to slow them down quite a bit. Good job people. You three, your turn to do scouting. The rest of you, back to camp." Asher ordered.

* * *

"How are we going to get out now?" Shandra stared out of her hiding place at a company of moblins guarding the cave entrance.

"Maybe if we ask them really nicely." Sheik joked.

"Whatever"

"INTRUDERS, SOUND THE ALARM" Moments later, alarms were blaring everywhere. And then the moblins took off in a rush to who knows where.

The noise made it impossible to whisper back and forth. That didn't stop Sheik and Shandra from looking at each other, shrugging, and subsequently smiling at their sudden good fortune.

KA-BOOM

After a moment, Sheik got up and motioned for Shandra to follow. In silence the two attempted to sneak out of the camp, heading in the direction of the explosion. What they found was a massive pile of debris blocking their path and moblin body parts scattered throughout the immediate vicinity. The two began attempting to climb the debris pile. It was very slow going, even for their agile, well-toned bodies.

They were nearly to the top when an arrow hit Shandra in the thigh.

"Ahhh!" she yelped as she nearly fell. Sheik reached back to grab her arm but another arrow nailed Shandra in the hand and she tumbled down the pile as a group of stalfos descended upon her.

"Tera! NOOO!" Sheik yanked out her bow and took out three of the monsters before another dozen ran up.

"Zelda! Run!"

Now that she was aware of their presence, Sheik was better able to dodge the Stalfo arrows than her unfortunate companion had been. Even so, not even Sheik could dodge arrows forever while clinging to a vertical wall. She took out two more stalfos before scrambling the rest of the way up. _We'll save you, Tera. No matter what it takes…_


	7. Holding Them Off

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

"Yooooour repoooort?"

"Some outlaws caused a landslide that's now blocking the Verdin pass. I've already dispatched a team of moblins to clear-"

"And what of the battle?" The wizrobe's stoic expression hid his annoyance at being interrupted.

"Stalfos discovered two individuals attempting to scale the debris and escape. Two troublesome agents who I believe you've heard of before-the conniving Sheik and devious Shandra. We were able to apprehend Shandra." Replied the wizrobe in an even tone.

"Wheeere is the prisoneeer?"

"He's in holding block B-27A. I suggest that we-"

"Yooooour suggestions are of nooooo concern to meeeeee. Yoooooou allooooowed the ooooutlaw Sheik to escaaape."

"With all due res-"

"Yooooou faaaaaailed to hooooold Kirdin. Yooooou alloooooowed Virdin to be bloooocked." The creature continued, "The Maaaaster is not pleeeeased. Yooooou are relieeeved of cooooommand. Yoooou will fiiiight on the froooontlines now."

The speechless wizrobe could do little but bow his head and accept his fate in stoic acceptance, even as he raged internally.

* * *

It was hard, tiring work but it was beginning to yield dividends. A few tektites had been discovered attempting to scale the wall in Virdin pass, probably in attempts to scout the area ahead or gain more information on the guerillas. Fortunately, his troupe was more organized than the enemy expected and they'd been able to detect and defeat the stealthy creatures while keeping their true numbers and capabilities somewhat hidden.

_We may have slowed them down, but they'll eventually make it through. I hope Link is able to get help soon._

Just then, Asher looked up to see Atkin and a group of soldiers approach surrounding a prisoner in a dark cloak. As the entourage approached his tent, everyone stayed a few yards away as Atkin went into Asher's open tent to report the situation.

"Sir, we found a straggler. His intentions were unclear and when he learned of our presence, he demanded to speak to you."

_I really need to teach these guys about running a covert war._ "Thank you, Atkin, but next time we take in a prisoner let's not give away our resumé?" Asher signed as he walked outside to see the prisoner. Atkin only smirked and followed.

"Can I help you Mr…? What is your name?" Asher asked in an annoyed tone. Silence was his only reply. He was just opening his mouth to ask more pointed questions of this mysterious prisoner when he got his reply.

"I never liked the formality of titles," came a very familiar voice, though the stress of the campaign prevented Asher from recognizing it right away. His confused look was plain as day and everyone-Atkin, the guards, even the prisoner himself-seemed to be chuckling about it.

"…who are you?"

"Hello Asher!" The prisoner laughed shedding his dark cloak, revealing "himself" to be Sheik. She would have tackled him but opted not to because that really would have confused the other soldiers.

Asher was speechless. "But you…Kirdin…huh?"

"Didja miss me?"

_Link is going to kill me for sending him off._

* * *

It had been a long journey, but Link was finally back at Hyrule Castle. Rushing through the gate, he barely waved a hello to the guard working there. In the courtyard, he found one of the higher level castle soldiers.

"Where is King Harkin?"

"Hello to you, too, Link." The surprise guard replied as he pointed toward the triforce tower.

"Thanks!" In minutes, Link was approaching the triforce chamber within the tower. He slowed but was still panting as he came around the corner. As expected, the King was inquiring the triforce about some matter or other, clearly frustrated by the riddles.

"King Harkin"

"Oh! Link, I didn't hear you coming." The distressed king said in surprise. "Back from the front so soon? Tragin won the day without your help, I take it?"

"I only wish that were true," Link started.

"Then…why have you come? Where is Asher?"

"I'm here to-"

_If thou declare thee be not meek, thou shalt find the one you seek. Thou must travel to the East, there you will fight the beast.--_The Triforce of Wisdom rambled.

"Huh?"

"It must be taking about Asher. He's still in the Eastern campaign theater. I'm here to warn the kingdom. Tragin's forces were shattered shortly before we arrived. Evidently, Gannon has fashioned together a group of iron knuckles…or iron knuckle look-alikes who suddenly appeared without warning. Asher stayed behind trying to hold together the survivors and buy us some time."

"That is truly horrible news…" King Harkin lamented, trailing off.

"Sire, we must gather whatever forces we can and meet up with Asher. Gannon's forces must not be allowed to reach Hyrule proper!"

"That may not be a problem for them any longer," the King started. "Somehow a group of moblins and tektites were able to reach Kirdin completely undetected. Of course, you know that already. However, Zelda and Tera who were with the army squad that made the discovery vanished from the city without a trace. We've been searching for weeks. They're just gone." The King slumped down in a chair, looking completely defeated. Link, for his part, didn't look much better.

_I leave her alone for a few days and what does she do? She up and disappears. Just when I thought things couldn't get any more complicated_

"I've been trying to figure out where they went and if they're safe from the triforce, but I can't make heads or tails of anything it says. And now, to have both my children either missing or in dire straights…"

"We must round up what forces we can and march to relieve your son, Asher. I don't see what else we can do."

"It won't be nearly enough, not with the loss of Tragin's army, not against iron knuckles. We'll need more. Link, go speak to goron patriarch Darunia."

"But my lord, the gorons have been trying desperately to stay out of this fight."

"My informants have told me that the attack on Kirdin and disappearance of many gorons in that city may be causing a change in their attitude. We will need their strength if we are to have any hope of survival."

"Very well, my King."

"I will continue working on the triforce to get some sort of answer, how to beat those iron knuckles."

_Things are not always what they seem, thou must seek behind the gleam. A hero unlikely you will find, humbleness he will the enemy remind--_the Triforce of Wisdom began again.

* * *

It had been three days since he had met Malon, and what a three days it had been! Between his new girlfriend, training, and the necessities such as eating and sleeping, Taylor hadn't had time for anything else. _Malon is really great. Maybe the goddesses do pay attention to us poor saps in Hyrule once in a while._

"Attention men! Everyone to the briefing room!" the sergeant called.

Taylor's thoughts began to drift to his many friends currently serving in other theaters, especially in the East. _I bet they're enacting the plan to storm Gannon's castle by now._ _I wish I could be there with them...on the other hand, things seem to have worked well for me right here._ _I wouldn't leave for anything. _He smiled to himself as he headed to the auditorium-sized room used for mass mission briefings.

As soon as everyone arrived, the sergeant began, "I hope you all enjoyed your stay here at Hyrule Castle. Hope you all got lots of rest, took in the sights," he glanced over at Cindrius and his bar-hopping group while a few soldiers snickered, "because at dawn we're moving out."

_Huh?_ The crowd of soldiers began to mumble.

"Our campaign in the East has requested more assistance to finish the job. They need reinforcements and we've been selected for the task. We will be merging with units from other towns and from the countryside on our trip." The sergeant waited a few moments for that to sink in before continuing.

"This is it, boys. This is the fight we've been waiting for. And Gannon, he's tough. He's not going to lay down and let us finish him off. But Gannon underestimates us. We have the best training, the strongest spirit, and the finest weapons in the world. I almost feel sorry for those sonofabitches we're going up against."

The room erupted in a sea of cheers. Shouts of "let's finish the job!" and "time for payback!" rang throughout the room. Even the mellow Cindrius was caught up in the excitement. Only one man held his reserve. _Just when I finally get things in order…figures._


	8. Do You Have An Appointment?

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

_Well this wasn't exactly plan A._ Shandra thought as she was put into a holding cell. Her back and hand aching where she had been shot. The hits and fall had stunned her, keeping her from summoning her shantari blades. The long, curved daggers were good for quick, rapid strikes and were Shandra's favorite. Even with them, however, she still wouldn't have been able to handle the dozens of monsters who would have descended upon her had she chosen to fight.

_I still could have taken most of them with me…maybe I still will._ She thought as she made a face. _Now how am I going to get out of here?_ She was behind reinforced iron bars, heavily guarded by stalfos and under considerable surveillance, at least for now. _Just gonna have to wait. They obviously think I'm valuable, otherwise they would have killed me outright. They're fools if they think I'll tell them anything._

Just then a young wizrobe appeared seemingly out of nowhere and approached the cell. "Young Princess," he began, "please cooperate and this won't be more difficult than it needs to be. I'm going to ask you some questions, you will answer them and nobody will get hurt. What did you hope to accomplish by blocking the Virdin pass?"

"I didn't block it, you ass. Why do you think I was trying to get over it?" she spat.

The wizrobe was not shaken. "You are a Hylian of high status, one of the last Sheikahs. Remnants of your crushed army blocked Virdin. You wouldn't be here if you weren't under their protection."

_So some of Tragin's army did survive after all!_ "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You must realize that your fight is lost. If you submit to Gannon now, perhaps he will have mercy on your poor soul."

"Fat chance."

"It is regrettable that you don't wish to talk, young woman. You would have made a fine addition to our forces." Had her face not been covered, the wizrobe would have seen the most disgusted look Shandra could muster.

"I will help teach you your error." The wizrobe smiled evilly, its first signs of emotion during the entire confrontation. It then raised its hands and blasted Shandra with an invisible wave of energy. Though she used every ounce of her strength and magical abilities to block the blast, it still felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire…and then she fell. The wizrobe laughed with satisfaction and disappeared once again.

* * *

"Sounds like we have our work cut out for us." Sheik replied as Asher finished explaining the situation in the privacy of his command tent.

"Had we known you and Tera were back there, we would have organized a rescue mission."

"You're better off having not done so. Those caves are a maze, it's surprising we found a way out at all…but Tera is still back there somewhere. The goddesses only know what they're doing to her…I should have done something, found someway to save her…"

"There wasn't anything you could have done, Zelda." Asher hugged Sheik, "We'll get her back. Tera's tough, she'll find a way to hang on. Hell, she'll probably escape and wonder into our camp just like you did."

"I know this is going to sound like a really weird question, Asher," Sheik began.

"What's that, Zelda?"

"Does Link have his shield?"

"Yeah he…oh wait, no. A like-like got a hold of it." Asher recalled, "I don't think he ever got it back. How did you know that?"

"Then that wizrobe did have it after all! Those fiends found some way to use it to further enhance the iron knuckles' armor."

"Great! As if things weren't bad enough, now those shock troops are being upgraded from one of the most magically enhanced pieces of armor in all of Hyrule."

"Maybe there's some way we can use that to our advantage."

"I'm listening…"

"Hey, I'm just thinking of options, General Asher Sir." Replied Sheik sarcastically.

"Heh, General Asher, never thought I'd see the day. Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do other than what we already have been until we get major reinforcements. Good thing those iron knuckles are heavy and slow. There's no way they can get over all that debris."

"Link better hurry or Tera and I are going to beat his ass when this is over.

* * *

_Some good old fashioned pleading never hurts,_ Link thought. He had good relations with the gorons, having fought side-by-side with Darunia himself several times over the years. Thanks to his fame, Link was allowed to walk freely throughout the city.

"Hello, ma'am. I'm here to see Brother Darunia." Link said courteously to the assistant as he walked into Darunia's office.

"Name?" she asked without glancing up.

"Link."

"Do you have an appointment, Link?" The secretary asked, only half paying attention.

"Not exactly, I need to speak to the brother on an issue of great importance to the Hylian people. I've been sent by King Harkin himself."

The secretary sighed heavily as if he was asking her to do some great task and got up from her chair. "Hold on a minute, I'll see if he's available." She stated flatly as she walked through a door behind her desk.

_I wonder what she was so distracted with. _Link thought as he glanced at her desk. _Sudoku! Figures._

"Brother!" Exclaimed Darania as he entered the waiting room. "It has been too long! What brings you to our city? Any word about Kirdin." Following slowly behind Darania was the now clearly embarrassed secretary.

"I'm afraid not. We still haven't found any survivors. Gannon's forces were neutralized. Not, however, before significant damage was done to the town itself."

"This is not good news. For a time, we gorons have remained neutral. The fight between Hylians and the Gerudo prince has not concerned us. Even though we sympathize with your plight, brother. For his part, the dark prince has left us alone as well, even though we reside at his very doorstep."

"Gannon will only leave you in peace as long as it is convenient for him to do so."

"Yes, what has happened in Kirdin is evidence of that truth. And it appears more and more certain that his agents were behind the Dodongo attacks a number of years ago, before major war broke out. Gannon cannot be trusted."

"Our army was poised to strike and finish this war, but Gannon's forces proved stronger than suspected. The main body of the Hylian army has been destroyed. We're doing what we can, but if they're allowed to pass into Hyrule proper there will be no stopping them."

"Being so close to our home, we have had agents monitor the Hylian campaign with great interest. Remnants of your army have been surprisingly effective in keeping the monsters at bay." Darania smiled, "They even blocked the Virdin pass by using the goron special crop. Your soldiers are clever, brother.

"We need your help, Brother Darania. We cannot hold them off forever. And when Gannon acquires the triforce, neutrality won't save anyone."

"Hmm…yes…" Darania mumbled as he thought to himself. Link waited while the Patriarch considered his options. After several minutes, the hero was about to say something when Darania reached his verdict.

"We must prepare ourselves. I will order the goron armies to mobilize, but they will be held back for defensive purposes. We will be ready, but the time and nature of our participation in this conflict will be decided by me and the Council. I will speak to them about a more active role, but the Council is avidly for staying out of this conflict. They are not easily swayed."

"Thank you, Brother Darania. Any help you can give us will be greatly appreciated."

"I must attend other matters now, Brother Link. I only hope our next meeting is under better circumstances." The two men bowed and Darania went back to his office.

"…um…Link?" Squeaked the secretary.

"Hi!"

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier. It has been a really long day, nothing exciting ever happens around here. If I had known you were Link, the legendary hero and personal friend of Patriarch Darania…"

"It's quite alright. Besides, I wouldn't want to interrupt your sodoku." Link smirked.

"Do you…do you think you come see my son sometime? He…he is a…a huge fan!" She stuttered.

"Sure, no problem. What's his name?" Link laughed.

"Draxlt."

"Alright, next time I'm in the area, whenever that is, I'll pay you and little Draxlt a visit."

"Thank you, Link! He's going to be so excited when I tell him!"

_Well that went better than expected,_ Link thought as he headed toward the edge of town. _Better than nothing, which is what I was expecting. _Busy pondering his next move, Link didn't notice the Zoras coming around the corner.

"Oh, hello there." He greeted while jumping back in surprise.

"Hello Zora," their leader began. "You are Link, Hero of Hyrule?"

"Just Link." Link smiled, "and you are?"

"I am Rejaik, and these are Teflia, Fregt and Jtre Zora," he said while motioning to the others respectively. "We have been staying in this city to keep an eye on the conflict between Gannon and Hylia. Our instructions have been to contact Zora's domain should any substantial events occur. The shattering of General Tragin's army is just such an event, Zora."

"How can I be of service?"

"We, like many Zora, believe that Gannon must be stopped at all costs but our rulers are hesitant. Will you accompany us back to Zora's domain? Your presence and resolve could help sway our leaders...and, on a personal note, Princess Ruto wants to see you."

_Great…not her again… _"Alright, give me a couple minutes to send a messenger fairy back to Hyrule Castle and inform them. Then we can be on our way."


	9. The Die Is Cast

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

_Ouch! Where am I?_ Shandra slowly regained consciousness. At first everything was black and she couldn't hear anything besides the ringing in her ears. After a few moments, the ringing faded to background noise but continued to remain. Her sight also improved to a degree. She could see light and general shapes, though everything was blurry. She struggled to stand, but all her muscles felt weak and ached like nothing else so she settled for sitting upright.

"Save your strength, brother." Shandra looked over toward the voice and saw a brown blob from across the room. She tried to move closer but fell flat on her face.

"Ack." thud "Who are you?"

"I am Dratus, brother. What is your name?"

"You…can call me…Shandra…Why do you keep calling me 'brother?"

"It is how my people express a greeting and show friendship, I am a goron."

For a moment Shandra thought he said 'I am a moron' due to the ringing. She realized what he had actually said just seconds before she would have busted up laughing.

"What are you doing here, Dratus?"

"I lived in Kirdin. We were attacked and enslaved by a bunch of evil monsters who brought us to these caves and made us create heavy armor and weapons. We had many weapons and the special crop in Kirdin but the creatures came out of nowhere. There was no chance to reach the stockade."

"Is that where we are now? In the caves?"

"Yes, brother. We are deep in one of the subterranean caverns. Believe it or not, you are fortunate. They all seem to think you're dead. Until you woke up a moments ago, I thought the same." Dratus paused before continuing, "And I'm here because I'm as good as dead. They threw your 'dead' body into this open holding chamber in an effort at intimidation-to show what would happen to me unless I did what they asked…but I won't break, brother."

"What did you do to end up down here?"

"Stepped out of line, looked at a moblin the wrong way," Dratus shrugged. "But my brothers haven't forgotten about me." He paused and then moved closer to Shandra. With a lowered voice that Shandra had to strain to hear, he asked "Tell me, Brother Shandra, are you interested in escape?"

* * *

They were discovering more stragglers every day. Nearly tripling their initial numbers, Asher could now afford to send out multiple watches. With Sheik back, he even led a few raids himself. It had been days since Link had left. _I wonder if we're getting any reinforcements. Maybe today is the day they will come_,Asher pondered while as he approached camp after another successful mission.

"Have fun on your little trip?" Sheik called as she waved to him from camp. Asher raised his hand to wave back but noticed Sheik was suddenly pointing behind him. He turned and noticed a group of perhaps a hundred heavily armed large humanoid creatures heading in their direction. Their armor made it difficult to distinguish the race of these individuals. Asher and the soldiers with him drew their weapons and turned to face the intruders while Sheik alerted the rest of soldiers at camp. _Great, just what we needed._

The mysterious arrivals slowed as they approached and stopped twenty feet away. Then one of them stepped forward and began to remove his helmet.

"Brothers! While we are pleased to see you so ready to fight, there is no need to brandish those weapons at us!" cried the goron.

"…Darania?" asked Asher hesitantly as he began to lower his sword. Many of the other soldiers followed his lead.

"Brother Asher!" Darania greeted, "I'm sorry for arriving in such a fashion but we had no idea what kind of trouble we'd run into while looking for you. We spoke to Brother Link and are here to offer assistance."

"Any help you can give us is welcome, Patriarch." Sheik began, "And your solders will double our own numbers…but Gannon has tens of thousands of monsters, perhaps even a hundred thousand altogether…"

"This is our elite company, our bravest and best one hundred, ready to fight at a moment's notice. And," he added, "they are under my personal command at all times. The rest of the army will take time to mobilize and marches under the Council's orders."

"Will the rest of the army come?" piped up Atkin.

"I'm not sure." Admitted Darania, "But as for me, I stand with my sworn brothers in defense of Hyrule."

* * *

They'd been marching almost nonstop for days. Malon had not been happy that Taylor was leaving so soon. To be fair, he hadn't been any happier to leave her for an uncertain fate out East.

"What do you mean, you're going East!? It's only been a few days and you're leaving me??" she had accused him. He wanted badly to stay but didn't have any choice. He was in the army, he had to follow orders. All he could do was promise to return as soon as possible, a promise he had every intention of fulfilling but, in reality, could do little on his own to accomplish.

Sigh _I always have the worst luck. _

The troupe from Hyrule Castle had been joined by a number of other relatively small bands on their way to Death Mountain. Fifty here, ninety there, it was hard to say how many were there now but it was probably somewhere between one and two thousand-a far cry from the more than forty thousand under Tragin's command.

_I sure hope Tragin has this campaign wrapped up. I'm not sure if only a few thousand will be much help._ Taylor thought as he marched. Strangely, he seemed the only one concerned about the number disparity. Morale was high not only among the crew from Hyrule Castle but from every other group that joined them.

"Come on, Taylor, join our cadence!" Cindrius called. The whole company erupted into a rhyming, amusing chant.

_I don't know but I've been told,_

_This damn war is getting old._

_It isn't important how or why,_

_But now it's time for Gannon to die._

Taylor decided to yield to Cindrius and joined in on the second verse which was, of course, far more profane than the first.

"Who comes up with these things?" Taylor joked.

_Maybe this won't be so bad after all. Finally, we can bring this war to an end._

* * *

Very few of the agile tektites who had been sent over the wall had made it back. From what they could ascertain, the enemy was highly mobile, versatile, and well-trained. They seemed to be aware of incursions over the wall within minutes and responded with force. Their exact numbers were uncertain, but they did not seem to attack in large groups at any given time.

"How much longer until we clear the path?" Growled a moblin at those attempting to clear a path through the Virdin pass.

"The going is slow, master." Replied a stalfo, "it would go faster if we could clear from the other side at the same time."

"I didn't ask for excuses! How long?" Raged the moblin.

"As little as three days. If enemy raids continue to slow our work, it could be the end of the fourth day before we make it through."

"Good. Three days and we can be on our way." The moblin turned to his personal aid, "Tell our strike forces to make preparations. At dusk have them set out over the narrow, uneven paths that wind through these mountains, the paths that are not sturdy enough to support the heavy infantry."

"Yes, master."

"Nightfall will help conceal their movements. In three days, they should be through to the other side and our heavy troops will unite with them as we poor through this pass." The moblin grinned an evil grin.

"You there! Wizrobe!" The moblin snarled, grabbing the wizard's cloak up by the neck, "Go with them and provide any magical assistance they may need." Their intelligence and mastery of the dark arts meant top command posts were often relegated to wizrobes. For this reason it gave this moblin sergeant a great pleasure to issue orders to the disgraced mage.

For his part, the wizrobe took it in typical stoic fashion. Underneath his stony exterior, however, he was seething with rage.

* * *

"Argh!" Shandra yelled in frustration. After nearly a day which included several hours of deep sleep, her sight had returned for the most part and the ringing in her ears had almost completely gone away. She was still having trouble focusing her magical energies, however.

"I'm going to need my shantari blades if we have to fight our way out of here." She attempted to summon her blades again. A few small sparks flew from her hands and two curved, translucent blades began to take shape before they blinked out of existence. Yet another failure resulted in a slew of mumbled profanities.

"You almost had it, Brother Chandra. Get some more rest. There's no reason to wear yourself out before the time comes," came the encouraging voice of Dratus. "We have a few more days before it's time."

Their oppressors didn't give the gorons enough credit. They had overheard a great deal of talk about quotas and needing to have a certain number of iron knuckles produced by a certain day. Various references to "the grand assault" implied a massive attack was going to take place sometime in the next two to five days.

"It would be nice if our timetable was a little more specific." Grumbled Shandra, "but I guess it's better than nothing."

"It's the best we could do, brother." An escape attempt was nearly impossible with the cave crawling with monsters. Fighting your way out was inconceivable with all the iron knuckles. The plan Dratus in conjuncture with his many of his fellow gorons had come up with consisted of staying quiet until the opportune moment. When the iron knuckles were thrown into the "grand assault" and internal cave security was at a minimum because many other monsters would be shifted to the front as well, the gorons would rise up.

Several of his friends were ready to fight their way down to the dungeon and rescue Dratus and, inadvertently, Shandra if they were unable to escape on their own. The goron slaves had even managed to create and hid bits of armor and small weapons while working in the assembly lines. It was nowhere near enough to fully equip all of them but would be better than nothing. Some of the unarmed gorons would race to their capital city to warn their leaders.

"You will need your strength if you are going to get the hero's shield back," Dratus reminded. "It is somewhere in the caves. We don't know exactly where, but it is most assuredly guarded heavily. We gorons can't dispel the enchantment on it…but you might be able to."

"If I can ever get my focus back." Lamented Shandra.

"Patience, brother. It will come in time."

"Heh, you know Dratus, you sound a lot like a friend of mine…"


	10. The Fight Is On

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

_Why do they always leave me?_ Malon sulked, back at Lon Lon Ranch as she stared out the window. _I thought he would be different._ _Even if he is, he'll probably be dead soon. _She sniffled, slowly got up and headed for the horse pen. _Riding always makes me feel better._

_When Zelda gets back, maybe I'll go talk to her. She always seems to have better luck with men than I do…_

* * *

"We will make our camp just outside the Verdin Pass." Shouted Captain Cyatan to the troops.

"SIR YES SIR," The response came in unison.

"How far do you suppose it is to Verdin?" Asked Cindrius.

"Oh an hour or two from here, I'd say." Guessed Taylor.

"Good, we'll make it just in time for supper. But we've been marching long after that every day. Why stop there tonight?"

"Gannon's forces must be just on the other side of the pass. They must want us well-rested for battle tomorrow. This is it, Cindrius."

"Yeah, I know. Finally, peace."

"I wonder how much things will change at home."

"What do you mean?"

"Without the constant state of war. What will become of military guys like us?"

"I try not to think about things like that. Whatever will be will be, you know? Besides, what are you worried about? Marry that rich Malon chick and you won't have to worry about becoming anything…"

"I'm not sure how that's going. She was pretty upset when I left."

"Yeah, but it isn't your fault. You're a soldier; you have your orders"

"I know that, you know that and she knows that…but if this fight goes on for a while…a girl like that doesn't stay single for long."

"Don't be so pessimistic. Besides, you always have the princess to fall back on. She's still missing, right?"

"…yeah…Hopefully, they find her soon…"

"Maybe she got kidnapped and is in Death Mountain. You could save her!" Joked Cindrius.

"Like that plumber guy from the cartoon? What was his name, martachio?"

"Nah, that's not it. Marcucio? Matchio? Mario! That's it."

"Haha, just like in the stories but those things only happen in fiction. She doesn't even know I exist and would forget me again by the next day. Besides, I'm no plumber."

"A Princess is always worth saving, Taylor, even for everyday grunts like us."

* * *

With help from the gorons, Asher's camp was finally beginning to look and feel truly professional. Quality weapons and armor poured in, replacing the worn-out or improvised equipment the Hylians had been using. Fortified positions and obstacles had been setup on their side of the pass as well.

_These positions would be more effective if we had had more time, but they'll have to do, _thought Asher as he inspected them. _The enemy will break through any day now._ _Too bad the pass is too wide everywhere else, otherwise we could create another avalanche. _

"How much longer?" Asked Sheik.

"Probably not more than a day or two."

"And what if they don't attack? We have to rescue Tera and-"

"I know. I'm worried about her, too, but we can't risk getting more of us captured when _they_ are poised to sweep through Virdin. Atkin and I have organized a strike team of the best spies among our numbers to go in after Tera and the gorons if the enemy doesn't attack soon."

"She could be dead by then, Asher." Sheik said pointedly.

"You don't think I know that, Zelda! I miss her just as much as you do, you have no idea how hard this is for me!" Asher shouted in a rare show of emotion which caught Sheik off guard.

"…I know she means a lot to you, Asher." Sheik said as he walked over to Asher and put his arm around the soldier. "I didn't mean to imply-"

"I know, Zelda. It's just-"

"Sir Asher, there are-" Atkin began as he entered the tent, stopping suddenly when he saw Asher and Sheik and smirked, "oh, um, am I interrupting something?"

"Nah and I told you its just Asher. None of this 'sir' crap." Asher replied as Sheik went back to his seat.

"Yes…_sir!_ Atkin mocked. "Asher, Hylian troops are approaching on the horizon. Link must have been successful!"

"Bought time!" Asher and Sheik said in unison. "How many?"

"Don't have an exact estimate yet, but judging by their wagon trains I'd say a few thousand…and well equipped too!"

The three raced outside and could already see the troops far off in the distance heading in their direction, the Hylian flag waving up above. _Boy are they in for a surprise when they break through that debris._

* * *

_It's all their fault._ The wizrobe ranted mentally, _I shouldn't be here, forced to run with these inferiors. _Being surrounded by stalfos, tektites, moblins, and the like wasn't new to him. Not being able to order them around and blast them for even the most minor infraction, however, was.

The dark sky was just starting to brighten as the sun peaked over the horizon. The army of monsters had nearly made it through the unstable, narrow path which served as the only other way through the mountainous terrain other than the Verdin Pass.

_Now let's see what we're dealing with._ Thought the wizrobe as he approached the last bend. Peering into the enemy camp, he was shocked by what he saw._ These…there were supposed to be a few tents scattered about, maybe a sentry post or two…where did all this come from? This must be some sort of illusion._ A full military camp laid out before his eyes. Enough for several thousand soldiers.

The magician attempted to detect magic in the area but noticed no spells; this was no illusion. And yet, there was someone in the camp with a strong magical presence. Young and not fully refined yet, probably an older teen or young adult. And yet, it was shrouded. He wouldn't have detected it at all had he not been concentrating heavily. _I've not felt a presence like this except in the presence of-_

"Attack! Let's catch them before those weaklings wake!" The commanding moblin bellowed, probably waking the entire camp himself. The monsters charged down the hillside, striking down those in their way.

* * *

The sentries on duty had been focusing heavily on the pass itself, ready to awaken the camp if any significant movement came from that area. They had been paying noticeably less attention to other areas where an attack was less likely. Even so, within moments of the monsters' appearance, alarms wailed and the whole camp was awake and ready for action.

The heavy gorons had been positioned closest to the mouth of the pass, the thinking had been that they would be best equipped to slow down the iron knuckles and prevent a sudden breakthrough. Consequently, they were farther away from the actual attack than most units.

"It could be a diversion, brothers. Ready yourselves for a move through the wall! The Hylians can take care of themselves. We move to support only if they begin to be overrun!" Darania commanded. And events showed him to be a wise commander. The monsters had swept into camp and attacked everything in their path. As the Hylians mobilized, the enemy attacked, retreated, and attacked again in an effort to not only weaken the opposition both by killing and maiming but also draw them away from the pass.

* * *

_I know I asked for an early wakeup call, but this is ridiculous! _

"I love the sound of busted stalfos in the morning. Sounds like victory!" Joked Cindrius as he lunged into another enemy.

Looking up, Taylor could see a steady stream of creatures still flowing out of the mountains and into combat. "By the goddesses, do they ever end?"

"2" CLANG WHACK "3"

"Quit showing off, Bani!"

"I'm not sho-4"

Cindrius and Taylor just shook their heads and kept fighting. Small pockets of troops were beginning to advance into the disorganized enemy lines, moving away from the main camp.

"They're trying to draw us away from the pass! Hold fast, boys. Engage the enemy but do not leave this area!" Order Cyatan. Most of the soldiers obeyed, a few either didn't care, didn't hear or both. Achieving early success, they pushed further to their own demise. Eventually, they got so far away from their fellows that monsters were on every side and even the ablest among them was swallowed up and struck down.

* * *

_I must find the source of that magic._ The translucent wizrobe silently floated through the chaos of battle, carefully avoiding combat himself, caring about only one thing. He could feel the magical energies getting stronger as he moved closer to the source. Then he saw it.

Twenty yards away, a blue-clad, agile warrior held two moblins and a mummy at bay. The evil wizard approached slowly so as not to be detected. When he got within ten feet, he blasted the cluster with a powerful dose of magic. The blast killed the monsters and knocked the blue fighter a good twenty feet through the air away from friendlies, landing with a heavy thud.

"Where is the triforce!" The wizrobe raged.

The warrior tried to lash out with its whip but the mage used its magic to phase away for a split second, easily dodging the attack. Then it unleashed another blast of magic.


	11. United!

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

"Ahh!" Yelled Sheik as she attempted to dodge the blast. This one didn't hit her as square as the last but it still hurt like hell. Her dodge attempt had also moved her a little farther away from her fellow soldiers. The wizrobe was purposely pushing her away with every one of his attacks. _Another direct hit like that and I'll be out. Time to fight magic with magic. _While she didn't have the triforce, her connection to it enhanced her magical abilities.

The next blast from the wizrobe was met with Sheik's own magic. Drawing on all her energy reserves, and on his connection to the triforce itself, Sheik was able to counter the enemy's magic. Slightly surprised, the evil mage redoubled his efforts. This time launching a constant flow of magic rather than short bursts.

His eyes glowed red and his form slowly changed from humanoid to something ugly and monstrous-the magician's true form-as he blasted away with the full power of its magic. "You must know child, you cannot defeat me!" Even with all her strength, this was a battle Sheik could not win. In terms of sheer power, she had more magical essence than her opponent. In terms of experience, the wizrobe held the advantage. _He must have been training for a hundred years!_ Thought Sheik. In reality, it was several times that long.

The nexus where the two magical energies met gradually moved closer and closer to Sheik. It eventually got so close that she began to take collateral damage to the face and arms. In moments, she wouldn't have the strength to continue.

* * *

"What's going on over there?" Cindrius and Taylor both looked to their right and saw a spectacular light show. Closer examination revealed the show was caused by a fight with magic. A wizrobe, whose back was turned to the main area of fighting, was blasting away at some poor soul. From the looks of it, the wizrobe was coming out ahead.

"We've gotta help that guy! Come on Cindrius!" The two soldiers took off in the direction of the duel but a moblin cut Cindrius off. Knowing Cindrius was a capable fighter, Taylor kept moving. The wizrobe was so distracted that he didn't notice the charge.

"AHHHH!" Taylor lunged into the mage, jamming his sword deep into the creature's back. He succeeded in stopping the creature's magical assault and just in time, too. At that same moment, his target collapsed. Unfortunately, Taylor didn't succeed in anything else. A moment after his attack, the wizrobe realized what was going on and turned on his new assailant. A magical blast far weaker than what he'd been using against Sheik knocked Taylor several feet away, his blade still stick in the wizrobe's back.

"YOU WILL NOT STOP ME!"

"We'll see about that!" Answered Taylor as he drew his dagger.

The wizrobe laughed like a maniac as he blasted the dagger out of Taylor's hands, leaving him weaponless.

"WHAT WOULD YOU FIGHT ME WITH?" He closed in for the kill. "NOW YOU WILL PAY FOR INTERFERING WITH MY PRIZE."

Frantically looking around for anything he could use as a weapon, Taylor spied a nearby rock which was perfect for throwing. He grabbed it and lobbed it as hard as he could at the wizard. It phased away for a moment and then came back.

"HAHAHA YOU FOOL, EVEN IF YOU HAD YOUR SWORD YOU WOULD BE POWERLESS TO FIGHT ME. WITHOUT A MAGICAL COMPONENT, YOUR WEAPONS ARE USELESS!"

"Thanks for the reminder, wizzie." Came a familiar voice just off to the side.

"WHAT?" The mage called in surprise as he turned to see who had just addressed him. The first thing he saw was a young man clad in green staring menacingly at him. The next thing he saw was a shining light arrow which hit him square in the chest, causing him to stumble back.

Taylor took this opportunity to snatch up his dagger (his sword still stuck in the wizrobe), and move between the magician and his initial target.

* * *

_Ooooow, my head!_ Zelda lifted up her head and looked around. The duel and her collapse had caused her magical disguise to dissipate. A ray of light fly through the air and hit the wizrobe, knocking him backward. Another soldier moved between her and her former assailant. _If the arrow came from over there, then Link is back! …but if Link is over there, whose standing in front of me?_

"Aaaa…Aaasher…?" She mumbled, impossible for anyone else to hear with all the fighting. Then she lost the strength to move. Her head went down and her eyes closed but she couldn't move. Mentally, she had a vague idea of what was going on but nothing more.

* * *

Another light arrow flew at the wizrobe, but he was able to dodge it. Turning now toward Link, it took a step forward and fired a blast of raw power. The green hero dodged, but was hit with some of the residual impact and was knocked to the ground. Another blast was about to be launched when Taylor hacked into the mage with his dagger. This attack didn't do any damage, but it did distract the creature for a moment. This time, Taylor yanked both his sword and his dagger out before he could be knocked away.

"MISERABLE INSECT"

THUD THUD

Three light arrows flew through the air in rapid succession. The first caused the wizrobe to stumble back. The second knocked it to the ground.

"IIIIAAAAAHHHHH!" Link shouted, flying through the air and plunging the Master Sword into his enemy, killing it instantly. Only at this point did Taylor turn to see the person he had tried to rescue.

He was speechless. Turning around expecting to see a rugged soldier, Taylor was shocked to discover the slender, frail body of a beautiful young woman, just a few years his younger. He moved to her and tried to help her up. She was motionless, though a quick check of vitals revealed she was still very much alive.

"Princess…Zelda?"

Her eyes flickered.

"thhhhhh…kkkkkkk…ssssssss…mmmmm….lllllll…" she mumbled so quietly he could barely hear it.

* * *

Zelda could feel that her vitals were being checked and that her head had been lifted a bit. Someone was gently cradling her sore head. Then the person, whoever it was, said something. She tried to open her eyes. For a moment, she got a glimpse of her protector before her eyes -a young man with light brown hair and brown eyes, an armored soldier.

"Thank you kind soldier. You saved my life," she tried to say.

* * *

Monsters started rushing in. He and this soldier had stopped the wizrobe but now there were other enemies to contend with. Link moved in to stand with his accomplice, between the monsters and Zelda. He could tell, through his connection with the triforce, that should would be alright.

"She'll be alright, kid, trust me. What's your name, soldier?"

"Taylor, Sir"

"Heh, it's just Link. That's some fine fighting you just did, really helped me out."

"Thanks Link. So is Zelda used to this sort of chaos?"

"Haha! Only every single day. She might look frail but there's not another person I'd rather have in a fight. Well, except for maybe Asher but that's because he lets me get away with way more than Zelda ever would."

The two men worked together to hold the monsters off but they couldn't do it forever. They gradually got pushed back until they were nearly back to the spot where Princess Zelda lay.

WHIZ WHIZ

Dozens of arrows suddenly flew from behind Link and Asher, nailing the monsters directly in front of them.

"Huh?" Asked Taylor in surprise as he turned to look behind him.

"About time you guys showed up." Link said, not turning.

Hundreds of Zoran archers launched another volley into the enemy while dozens more charged forward to assist Link and Taylor.

Just then a loud commotion was heard from within the Verdin Pass.


	12. Uprising

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

The caverns were abuzz with excitement. Rumors of fighting had started spreading nearly an hour before, but, so far, the iron knuckles were still in place behind the debris. The potential breakout would happen at any second. Then, all at once, every available monster took off for the cave exit.

_This is it,_ thought many a goron. As soon as their captors had had enough time to make it to the exit, plus a few minutes more, the subjugated rose up against the few that were left. Their guards had been overconfident. They had underestimated the hearty gorons who were used to harsher conditions than Hylians. They had not grown as weak as had been believed. Even so, these gorons were civilians not soldiers. If not for their large numbers, the insurrection likely would have failed.

* * *

"What is going on outside?" Asked Shandra.

"My brothers are coming, I told you they would not forget about us."

BAM

Something slammed into the other side of the jail cell's door. Then it slowly creaked open.

"Brother Dratus! Thank goodness we found you." The goron then turned to Shandra, "Brother, come quick."

Dratus and Shandra raced out the door, not noticing the pile of bones scattered off to the side which had belonged to a stalfo guard.

"Where is the shield?" Asked Dratus while running.

"Toward the mouth of the cave. It seems the enchantment only works when the shield is close to the iron knuckles. They hide it but brought it out for the battle, carrying it around like some sort of holy grail, brother."

"Good, then we can hit it up on our way out." Grinned Shandra as she successfully summoned her shantari for the first time in days.

* * *

The gorons were valiant warriors, but even they were slowly getting pushed back by the onslaught of iron knuckles immerging through a gap in the debris. After confirming that Zelda was alright, Link ordered some Zoras carried her away from the front for medical attention. Then he and Taylor charged in to help the gorons in the pass.

Seeing Link on the front gave new life to the warriors and they even began to push the enemy infantry back. This minor success was short-lived, however. As more iron knuckles poured into the fight, the allies were once again pushed back.

"There's no stopping these guys." Spat Taylor.

"We must keep fighting, brother!" Responded Darania who was fighting on Taylor's right. "We draw the line here."

"This far, no farther!" Shouted Link as he dodged a giant ax and whacked his opponent in the head. Seeing his enemy stunned for just a moment gave Link an idea. As the iron knuckled lunged forward instinctively, Link rolled to the right and jumped up, swiping his sword up along the enemy's back. Some of its armor cracked and fell off, making it possible for attacks from the front to do damage. Only then did the fading words of the triforce make sense. _The gleam must have meant the gleam of armor. Of course!_ _Now I just wish I knew what that 'unlikely hero' bit was about._

"Hit 'em in the back! They're weakest there! It'll knock off their armor!" Link turned and saw Taylor hacking away to no avail. _That guy fights like a madman…but with the right training…_At that moment, Link detected a large group of troops moving in. But this group was not made up of enemies. They were the goron army coming to help!

"Are your men coming from the city?" Link asked Darania.

"I can only hope by now the Council has taken heed, brother." Responded the Patriarch, as he whacked at the nearest enemy with his giant club.

"Fall back!" Ordered Link.

"Brother?" "Link?" "Trust me, guys."

"Retreat, Brothers!"

The gorons and Hylians began a fighting withdrawal from the pass. Link smiled as his plan worked perfectly. The overconfident iron knuckles pressed forward through the other side of the pass, sure of victory. The fighting on the battlefield at this point was such that the approaching goron army was almost completely hidden until it entered the fray directly.

Without warning, the heavily armored gorons plunged into the iron knuckles flank, pushing deeply into their lines before they had a chance to react. The ensuing chaos forced the iron knuckles out of their perfectly organized marching lines and led to more of a brawl. The enemy was still formidable, but their lack of organization made it possible to get behind a few, shattering their armor. Even so, many hylians and gorons lay dead on the battlefield. _At least success is a possibility now, even if it is an outside chance._

* * *

The sound of clanging swords against shields led Shandra, Dratus, and several hundred goron civilians to the cave exit. Equipped with her shantari blades, Shandra easily eliminated every second rate creature they encountered.

As they exited the cave, they discovered a large group of like-likes preparing to move through the pass and gobble up enemy weapons.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shouted Shandra as she and the gorons charged.

The group of like-likes turned in surprise as make-shift daggers and knives plunged into them. These gorons were not trained but they fought with tenacity. Many like-likes were killed but, eventually, all the goron weapons had been eaten. They resolved to fight on with nothing more than their fists.

Shandra, fortunately, did not have the same problems. Because the shantari blades were summoned, she unsummoned them anytime they were in danger of being eaten, only to summon them again in her hands moments later. This advantage, combined with her speed and agility made the like-likes virtually powerless against her.

As the last weapon-stealing creature was defeated, the sound of fighting still emanated from farther ahead. _Where's that shield?_

"Charge!" Shouted Shandra as she ran forward. The few weapons that had not been fully digested by the like-likes reappeared after their deaths. A few lucky gorons picked up those weapons and ran forward. The rest rolled forward, faster than Shandra and the others could run, with the intention of popping out and fighting once they got to the combat area.

That arena turned out to be much closer than they realized and they plowed headlong into the backs of several iron knuckles, knocking them to the ground and shattering some of their armor. By the time Shandra got there just a few moments later, the area had devolved into an absolute brawl. Then she saw it.

Flanked by two iron knuckles which looked just a little bigger and stronger than all the others, there stood a wizrobe with a massive Petra eye floating next to it. None of them were engaging in battle, though Shandra could sense a great deal of magical energy flowing from the wizrobe into the shield it was holding. Link's shield!

"There it is!" She yelled as she ran toward the group. As she approached, the iron knuckles turned to engage. The wizrobe and the Petra continued doing whatever it was they were doing. Against one iron knuckle, she might have been able to get to the side or behind it. Against two, however, every time she started to get to the side of one, she'd be blocked by the other.

* * *

_Tera!_ Asher could sense she was close by, even in the heat of battle. While Link had lead the fight against the iron knuckles after saving Zelda, Asher had maintained cohesion in the other theater of battle, coordinating the hylians and now zoras and gorons. Seemingly in good order now, he left control in the hands of the local unit commanders and went in search of his friend.

He could feel her life energy getting stronger as he moved into the pass. Link saw him as he approached the front.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Tera." He responded and pointed. Link looked up to see Shandra fighting a desperate dodging fight against two massive iron knuckles. The two stealthily moved forward beyond the iron knuckles on the field which, they could now see, were getting hit from behind as well.


	13. Taking it to the Enemy

Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda. I'm just writing about it.

* * *

_Why am I always so stupid? _Shandra thought to herself, now fully realizing she was no match for these particular enemy on her own, and that didn't take into account the wizrobe and Petra that could turn on her at any moment. _Link always makes this sound so easy._ She thought as she barely dodged a bone shattering attack. It was then that she realized the iron knuckles had been carefully maneuvering her. Her back was now against the mountain wall. There was very little room to dodge. The closer iron knuckle raised its massive ax to attack…and that attack never came.

THUD

A light arrow hammered into its back. Unlike the other iron knuckles, its armor did not crack. It did, however, feel it and turned around to in an attempt to see its attacker. What it saw instead was a sword to the face. The strength of the hit was such that the heavy infantry which knocked it off balance and fell to the ground. The other iron knuckle turned as well.

With their attention diverted, Shandra attempted to blast both creatures with energy. She failed to freeze them like she intended. She did, however, manage to slow their movement enough that the one on the ground wouldn't be up for several minutes and the other could be easily dodged. It took all her strength to maintain the magical shell but she could continue indefinitely.

Had they noticed what was transpiring around them, the wizrobe and Petra made no indication of such until now. Link's shield fused into the wizrobe's chest as it turned to attack. Before it could, the Petra fired off a powerful shot of magic which knocked both Link and Asher into the mountain side. That hit would have killed anyone not protected by the triforce's magical essence. As it was, they pair were unhurt if a little disoriented. A nearby goron was not so lucky.

Then the wizrobe lauched his volley. Link was defenseless against it without his shield. Just in time, Asher leapt between Link and the wizrobe, pulling out his shield. Asher's shield was strong, but not quite as magically enhanced as Link. Both men were saved from being struck by magic, though the sheer power of the blast pummeling into his shield sent Asher flying again. Link reached for his light bow but another blast from the Petra knocked it away.

"Hurry!" Shandra yelled.

"I hope you don't mind us joining in, brothers."

"Huh?"

Darania hit the Petra from the side with his giant club like a baseball hitting a bat. It didn't fly nearly as far but it did distract the creature long enough for Link to grab his light bow and rapid fire into it. Stunned for a moment, it blasted Darania away, toward the major battle area. Then it flew after him. Seconds later, the two became one with the chaotic battle.

Now that it was impossible for Link to get a clear shot at the Petra, he turned his attention to the wizrobe, firing a rapid succession of shots. They all clanged into his body and fell harmlessly. _Damn, it must be my shield._

* * *

_The pitiful insects._ The wizrobe almost felt bad as the arrows bounced off his armor. _With this shield, I'm invincible, just like the army of iron knuckles!_ He launched another salvo that should have knocked out both Asher and Link, internally congratulating himself on a job well-done.

"NO!" The magical blast was hit with another, diverting its path into the side of the mountain.

"What?" The wizrobe shouted angrily, looking around.

"Looking for me?" Taunted Zelda from off to the side. Her form was floating just above the ground, the triforce of wisdom semblance glowing brightly on her hand. The rest of her body began to glow from the sheer power flowing through her as green triforce energy crackled all around her. _Oh you sucker, you made her angry...but who brought the triforce here from Hyrule Castle? _Thought Link. Zelda let off another blast, this time at the wizrobe. It hit the creature in the chest, forcing it back.

"It's the shield!" Shouted Shandra, while the intense use of her magic caused her to start losing control over her transformation, becoming Tera once again. "It's protecting it from damage!"

The wizrobe wasted no time and fired back at the first opportunity. Unlike earlier, the close proximity of the triforce gave Zelda the extra energy she needed to defend herself, though just barely.

"YOU FOOL! EVEN WITH THE POWER OF THE TRIFORCE, YOU CANNOT HOPE TO DEFEAT ME"

"Hiiiiiiiiaaaaaa!" Taylor attempted to leapt into the wizrobe, attempting to sink his sword into it.

"FOOLISH MORTAL!" The mage growled as it blasted the daring soldier away, knocking him unconscious instantly. The split second he turned his attention away from Zelda was a split second too long. She ripped into him with a powerful magic blast, knocking him back a few steps. _My most powerful blasts hit him back but don't seem to be hurting him. _

_Unstoppable in battle, your enemies may say, and this point you must take it away._—rambled the Triforce. _That's it! Time for Plan B!"_

"You may be invincible with that shield…" Zelda began, zapping the wizrobe again, this time with holding magic similar to what Tera was using on the two monstrous iron knuckles. "Solution? Take your shield away." Zelda grinned.

Link, as if reading her mind, lunged at the mage and attempted to pull off the armor. His attempt was in vain. The shield magic holding the shield fused to his chest was too powerful.

"Link! The bracelet! Use the bracelet!" _Oh yeah, forgot about this thing._ Link slipped on the power bracelet and pulled on the shield with all his might. With an awful tearing sound, the shield pulled away as magic flew in every direction, leaving one surprised wizrobe. The magic knocked everyone back, including Zelda, and dispelled Tera's magic. Asher ran in front of Tera to protect her from anything the wizrobe might try.

Link pegged the wizrobe with multiple shots with his light arrow, stunning it for a moment. _Evil is the path you choose, but evil do-ers always lose—_The Triforce lectured as Zelda drew on it's power to blast the wizrobe into oblivion.

Off to the side, the two massive iron knuckles returned to normal speed and raised their weapons to attack Asher. When the wizrobe was destroyed, they suddenly froze and then toppled over.

"Well…that was easy." Link joked. Asher moved to tend to Tera.

"Are you alright?"

"Worn out, but I'm good." Tera responded weakly, giving Asher a hug.

Just then a huge blast came from the direction of the main battlefield. Seconds later, the Petra flew overhead back into the cave. Darania came rolling after it.

"That thing just killed everything. Our troops and their's, too. Medics are on the way from our capital, just incase there are any men who somehow managed to live through that. I survived only through my power as a sage, brothers! After that Petra!"

Asher helped Tera up and the five of them turned to head back into the caves.

"I'm coming with you." Came a voice behind them. It was Taylor, newly awakened. "Sorry to fall asleep on the job like that, it won't happen again." He joked.

"I like you, kid. Got spirit." Link said. "Come on."

"You're a good man." Said Asher as he walked by, helping Tera initially.

Zelda just laughed at the joke but said nothing, causing Taylor to turn red yet again. While he did manage to hide it a little better than the first day he had met the Princess, this time she did notice, and giggled a little inside before turning her attention back to the cave. _It's time for a final showdown!_


End file.
